Workplace Charging Scheme for Electric Vehicles

19th July 2018

Funded by the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles, the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) provides a grant for businesses to reduce the cost of having an EV charge point installed at their premises.

The grant allows businesses, charities, and local authorities to claim 75% of the total cost of installation, up to a maximum of £500 per socket installed, and with a maximum of 20 sockets across all sites for each applicant. Firms based in the United Kingdom can claim and don’t necessarily need a plug-in vehicle on the company’s books to start with.

The charge points are required to have a need declared for them on application, which could include: existing EV fleet vehicles, to add an incentive for the uptake of plug-in vehicles with staff, to provide a charging solution for visitors, or to charge EVs planned to be purchased by the business. Charging for customers (where applicable) is not eligible for WCS funding.

Customer and visitor electric cars will have different charging connectivity needs, so it is important to install a charging point most likely to be compatible with the widest range of vehicles possible. The most common workplace installation is a wall-mounted Type 2 7kW charger, which is compatible with most of the best-selling electric vehicles and will charge a vehicle fully in around 3-4 hours. Some businesses may wish to install a faster 22kW unit or even a Rapid charger if cost and space allow.

Most workplace installations select wall-mounted units as they are typically cheaper to install. The alternative is a post, which are good on-street options but usually have higher installation costs due to the need to get the electricity to the post under the ground.

To find out more information on EV charging points and to discuss how Remark can install the right charge point for you, get in contact today.